Display-cabinet.



UNITED STATES Patented A ril 4., 1905.

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN A. DOUGLAS S AND OARYE A. FAGG, OF PALESTINE, TEXAS.

DISPLAY-CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 786,737, dated April {1, 1905.

Application filed July 26, 1904:. Serial No. 218,253.

To ail whom it "may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN A. DOUGLASS and OARYE A. FAGG, citizens of the United States, residing at Palestine, in the county of Anderson and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display-cabinets.

The principal object of the invention is to support a plurality of rolls of oil-cloth or similar material in such manner that they may be seen readily and may be removed easily and quickly from the holding means to cut off part of the material.

A further Object of the invention is to render the holding means of the rolls adjustable, whereby as the rolls diminish in size as ma-v terial is out therefromthe holding means will automatically adjust itself to the diminished size of therolls, and thereby hold them firmly in position at all times.

Other objects of the invention are to attain the above-mentioned objects in a sim-,

ple, effective, and inexpensive manner.

With the foregoing objects in view the inv ventionresides in a cabinet having a plurality of retaining devices comprising approximately U-shaped members, the parallel ends of which extend through perforations in the cabinet and are connected with auto matic means such, for instance, as coilspringswhereby' the retaining devices are adjusted to the oil-cloth rolls as they diminishinsize.-

The invention also resides in the particular combination and arrangement of parts and in the precise details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed as a practical embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,'Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention, the door thereof being shown in open position. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through said cabinet.

Like reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

The improved cabinet is preferably constructed with a base 1, having rollers or casters 2. Upon the base 1 is formed an annular groove or raceway, in which is placed a series I of antifriction-balls 3, resting upon which is the bottom piece 4 of a cabinet 5. The bottom piece 4 is extended outwardly beyond the walls of the cabinet and is of greater area than the base 1. Upon the extended. piece 4 is a flange 6, which extends below the said piece, as shown at 7, and above the said piece,

as shown at 8. The lower portion of the flange 6 below the extended bottom piece 4 of the cabinet serves eifectually to'retain the cabinet in cooperative relation with the base, the attainment of this object being facilitated further by forming in said extended piece 4 an annular groove or raceway similar to the groove or raceway in the base, whereby the antifriction-balls 3 are held in place and the cabinet is retained in position upon the base. Disposed between the upwardly-extending portion of the flange 6 and the cabinet 5 is a shelf 9 a-lower brace-board 10 being disposed inside the cabinet on a line with said shelf and serving to hold the walls of the cabinet in proper position and to brace them against the possibility of collapsing. In the upper portion of the cabinet 5 is placed a pair of brace-boards l1 and 12, each of which is formed with a plurality of grooves 13. The grooves of the two brace-boards register together to form a series of sockets which radiate from the center of the rolls of oil-cloth are held in position comprise cabinet. The retaining devices by which the approximately U shaped members 1 4, the parallel ends of which extend through suitable perforations in the cabinet and are disposed in the registering grooves or sockets of the brace-boards l1 and 12. A coil-spring, such as 15, surrounds each end of each of the retaining devices 14 and bears against a suitable hooked or enlarged portion of said end and against the side wall of the cabinet, whereby the tendency of each spring is to draw the retaining device with which it is connected closely against the outside of the cabinet.

As shown in Fig. 1, the improved cabinet is formed with a door 16, provided with reends of the retaining devices are disposed in a lower plane than the brace-boards 11 and 12, whereby as the door is closed said inner ends extend beneath the brace-boards, and thus do not prevent the door from closing. The hooked ends of the retaining devices against which the coil-springs l5 bear are clearly shown upon the door 16 in Fig. 1.

In using the improved display-cabinet a roll of oil-cloth or similar material is engaged at its upper end with one of the retaining devices 14, the lower end. of said roll resting upon the shelf 9 and being prevented by the upper end of the flange 6 from being displaced. If desired, the shelf 9 may be formed with a circular perforation immediately beneath each of the retaining devices, each of the circular perforations being intended to receive the lower end of a roll of material, as indicated by the dotted lines at the right of Fig. 2. As each roll becomes diminshed in size, due to the removal therefrom of material, the retaining device by which it is held will automatically adjust itself to the roll in such manner as to hold it firmly in position at all times.

By constructing the improved device in the form of a cabinet, as described, the interior thereof serves as a convenient receptacle for reserve supplies of oilclo th or other material.

It will be understood that the improved cabinet of this invention may be made of any size and of any character of material. Furthermore, any number of retaining devices may be employed. The cabinet has been shown as sextagonal in shape; but it will be understood that it may be rounded or of any other desired shape.

Other minor changes from the precise embodiment of the invention illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the in.vention,what is claimed as new is- 1. A. display-cabinet having a plurality of retaining devices comprising approximately U-shaped members, the ends of which extend through perforations in the cabinet, and

weave? automatic means for drawing said retaining devices inwardly as the articles held thereby decrease in size.

A display-cabinet comprising a base having an annular ball-race, a series of antifriction-balls in the ball-race, a cabinet on the balls and having an extended bottom piece, a flange extending above and below the bottom piece and b ing disposed therearound, a shelf between the llange and the cabinet above the extended portion of the bottom. piece, a brace-inntrd in the lower portion of the cabinet, on. a level with the shelf, a pair of brace-boards in the upper portion of the cabinet, said brace-imards having registering grooves, a plurality of retaining devices comprising approximately U-shapod members, the parallel. ends of which extend through the cabinet into the registering grooves of the brace-l.)oards, and a coilspring attached to each end of each member and disposed in the grooves.

23. A cabinet comprising base, having casters and formed with an annnln r ball-rare, a series of antifriction-lnills in the b:1llr:n-e, a cabinet on the l.)all.-race and having an extended bottom piece, a flange extending above and below the bottom piece and being disposed therearound, a shell between the flange and the cabinet above the extended bottom piece, a brace-board in. the lower portion of the cabinet, a pair of ln'ace-bonlds in the upper portion of the cabinet, and having registering grooves, a plurality of retaining devices comprising approximately U-shnped members, the parallel ends of which extend through the cabinet into the registering grooves of the brace-lmards, a coil-spring attached to each end of each member, and disposed in one of the grooves, a door for the cabinet, and a plurality of retaining devices on the door, disposed below the pair of brace;

boards at the upper portion of the cabinet.

In testimony whereof we al'lix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. DOUGLASS. CARYE A. lhktiti. Witnesses:

C. H. GiLLnsrm, {.nAs. DAVIS. 

